1. Organizational matters:

a) Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairmen

b) Adoption of Agenda and Timetable

2. Statement by the Director-General

3. Review of the World Commodity Situation and Outlook, including follow-up to Conference Resolution 2/79 on Commodity Trade, Protectionism and Agricultural Adjustment

4. Activities of Subsidiary Bodies

a) Recommendations of the Intergovernmental Commodity Groups including CSSD:

i) Bananas

ii) Tea

iii) Oilseeds, Oils and Fats

iv) Jute, Kenaf and Allied Fibres

v) Sub-Group on Tropical Fruits

vi) Citrus Fruit

vii) Hard Fibres

viii) Meat

ix) Sub-Group on Hides and Skins

x) Consultative Sub-Committee on Surplus Disposal (CSSD)

b) Mandate and operational procedures of the Intergovernmental Commodity Groups

c) Location and operational procedures of the Consultative Sub-Committee on Surplus Disposal

5. Trade policy questions

a) Assessment of the impact of the Uruguay Round on agricultural markets

b) Commodity projections to 2005 including alternative scenarios

c) Report on technical assistance related to the Uruguay Round

d) Report on technical subjects (Environment and Trade, Biotechnology and Impact of SPS measures)

6. Activities of other bodies

a) Common Fund for Commodities

b) Others

7. FAO Strategic Framework 2000-2015

8. Arrangements for Sixty-third Session

9. Any other business

10. Adoption of Report

I. AGENDA NOTES

The Sixty-second Session of the Committee on Commodity Problems will open at 10.00 hours on Tuesday, 12 January 1999. Provision has been made for the Session to continue up to Friday, 15 January 1999.

1. Organizational Matters

(a) Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairmen

In accordance with the Rules of Procedure, it will be necessary for the Committee to elect a Chairman, a First Vice-Chairman and a Second Vice-Chairman from among representatives of its members. These officers will remain in office until the election of a new Chairman and new Vice-Chairmen. The current Chairman is Mr B. Huff (Canada) and the current Vice-Chairmen are M F.J. Marroni de Albreu (Brazil) and Mr H.R. Streichert (Germany).

(b) Adoption of Agenda and Timetable

The Provisional Agenda has been prepared in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee, taking into account the Committee's Terms of Reference and the suggestions made at the Sixty-first Session. A suggested timetable will be circulated at the opening of the Session.

2. Statement by the Director-General

The Session will be addressed by the Director-General or his representative.

3. Review of the World Commodity Situation and Outlook, including Follow-up to Conference Resolution 2/97 on Commodity Trade, Protectionism and Agricultural Adjustment

In accordance with its Terms of Reference, the Committee will survey the main issues in the world agricultural commodity situation and outlook. Moreover, in accordance with its practice since its Fifty-third Session, the Committee will review follow-up action to Conference Resolution 2/79 on Commodity Trade, Protectionism and Agricultural Adjustment. The Secretariat will circulate a document on the principal features and developments in the world commodity situation and short-term outlook, and on developments in relation to Conference Resolution 2/79, as a basis for the Committee's discussion. It will also submit a short report on the trade issues for small island developing states for discussion.

4. Activities of Subsidiary Bodies

(a) Recommendations of the Intergovernmental Commodity Groups including the Consultative Sub-Committee on Surplus Disposal

Under this item the Committee will review the work of its Intergovernmental Commodity Groups which have met since its last Session. The Reports of the Intergovernmental Commodity Groups on Bananas, Tea, Oilseeds Oils and Fats, Jute, Kenaf and Allied Fibres, the Sub-Group on Tropical Fruits, Citrus Fruit, Hard Fibres, Meat and its Sub-Group on Hides and Skins, and the Consultative Sub-Committee on Surplus Disposal will be presented to the Committee for endorsement and consideration as well as advice on future courses of action. Under Agenda item (6), the Committee will also be briefed on the activities of the various Groups as ICBs designated by the Common Fund for Commodities. The Secretariat will circulate a separate document on this subject.

(b) Mandate and operational procedures of the Intergovernmental Commodity Groups (IGGs)

At its last session the Committee agreed that there was a need to carry out an in-depth review of the mandate and structure of its intergovernmental commodity group system with a view to rationalizing and strengthening the functions and scope of the IGGs to achieve maximum benefits from their operations. The Committee therefore recommended that the role and functioning of the IGGs be considered again at the Sixty-second Session, taking into full account the conclusions and guidelines of the Council and Conference with regard to the review of all statutory bodies. The Secretariat will accordingly present a report on this subject.

(c) Location and operational procedures of the Consultative Sub-Committee on Surplus Disposal (CSSD)

At its last session the CCP requested the Secretariat to prepare a report reviewing the question of the location of the CSSD, its operational procedures and ways to improve participation by the developing countries. A short report on the item will be submitted by the Secretariat.

5. Trade Policy Questions

(a) Assessment of the impact of the Uruguay Round on agricultural markets

At its last session the CCP agreed that the Secretariat should undertake an "assessment of the impact of the Uruguay Round provisions as they are being implemented in practice, and commodity projections with a time horizon beyond 2000 which would, inter alia, be of value to countries in preparing their negotiating positions for the next round of negotiations in agriculture" and that these studies should include an assessment of the food security implications for developing countries. The projection study is covered under agenda item 5(b) while for this item the Secretariat will submit a report on the impact of the Uruguay Round on agricultural commodity markets in the recent past.

(b) Commodity Projections to 2005 including alternative scenarios

As mentioned above, this report will be submitted in response to the CCP's request. It will cover the outlook for the main food commodities and selected other commodities to 2005 and include alternative scenarios and discuss the food security implications for the developing countries.

(c) Report on technical assistance related to the Uruguay Round

The CCP at its last session urged FAO to continue its programme of technical assistance related to the Uruguay Round, and to develop a programme of policy assistance with the aim of ensuring that developing countries are well informed and equal partners in the reform process leading to the next round of multilateral trade negotiations. Accordingly, the Secretariat will report briefly on its ongoing and planned technical assistance in this area, focusing particularly on the preparations for the next round of multilateral trade negotiations.

(d) Report on technical subjects

Over recent years the CCP has examined a number of technical issues related to commodity trade, i.e. environment and trade, biotechnology and the impact of sanitary and phytosanitary measures. The Secretariat will submit a short report on recent developments of interest to the Committee in these three areas.

6. Activities of Other Bodies

The Committee will be informed on international action on commodity and trade problems in UNCTAD, WTO and other fora since the Sixty-first Session. Regarding the Common Fund for Commodities, the Secretariat will submit a short report on recent developments on projects and other matters of concern.

7. FAO Strategic Framework 2000-2015

The Committee will have before it the document A Strategic Framework for FAO 2000-2015 (Draft Version 1.0) for its review and comments. As this document will also have been reviewed by the Council in November 1998 (CL 115/12), it is expected that Draft Version 2 of the document will be issued at the end of 1998. It is recommended that the Committee take advantage of the lead time available with Version 1.0 to carry out the necessary internal consultations, thus facilitating the rapid consideration of Version 2.0 if it becomes available on time for the CCP's deliberations. An Information note will also be tabled giving extracts from the report of Council's review of the document.

In view of the particular mandate of the CCP, delegates may wish to focus in particular on the trade-related aspects of the study.

8. Arrangements for the Sixty-third Session

Under this item, the Committee will consider the date of its next Session and any relevant organizational matters.

9. Any Other Business

10. Adoption of Report

The Committee will review the draft report for adoption. The report of the Sixty-second Session will be submitted to the FAO Council at its One Hundred and Sixteenth Session in June 1999.